The Bloody Masquerade

My eyes snapped open and I jumped when I found myself in darkness. A dank and dusty smell filled my nose and my senses told me I was in an enclosed room. I wasn’t quite sure how I got here. I woke standing up which wasn’t right if I had been put in here while unconscious.

Slowly dim lights began to glow and grew brighter and brighter until the tiny room I was standing in the centre of was alight. I glanced about the room very slowly, trying to ignore the feeling of familiarity this place gave me. It was small, so small in fact my head was only an inch shy from the ceiling. The walls were simply bare wood, decorated in tiny photographic images, and the door to the right was practically hidden in the wall. The lights lit up the bed though, a tiny thing covered in a pink duvet. Toys, games and dolls littered the floor and were piled up high next to the bed, almost hiding it from sight.

I glanced down at the floor when something bumped against my foot when I tried to walk forward and notice a small toy at my feet. Slowly I bent down and picked it up, turning it over in my hands. It was a soft brown bear, not very big, and it wore a bright pink tutu. The longer I stared at it, the more the strange sense of familiarity began to grow. I remembered this bear. I had seen once long ago but I couldn’t remember where from.

I glanced up sharply when I felt a strange presence in this room. Abruptly sitting in the only chair by the door was a woman I remembered clearly. Her blonde hair and gentle smile was all I needed to see to know it was Irma. The rage that rose in reaction wasn’t like me however. It was hot and furious, not like my usual cool anger. I didn’t like her in this room. She wasn’t allowed in here.

“So this is the room of your heart.” Irma said lightly as she stared about the tiny room.

“What are you doing here? And where exactly are we?” I demanded and held the bear close to my chest to protect it and only realising just now that my weapons were missing.

“I am here to kill you.” Irma said simply then put her fingers together and placed her chin on the tips. “You took me here when you finally let your defences down and let me possess you. This place is the place you consider home, the place closest to your heart. It is rather a dingy and sorry looking room. Ilda’s was far more magnificent. Why is this place your home, I wonder?”

I pressed my lips together and glared in defiance. I wouldn’t admit that, while this place was familiar and I did strangely hold it dear, I couldn’t remember when I came here. I had no memory of this room.

Irma grinned at me, knowing what I was thinking. “You are strange. I sense what you are, now that I stand within you. Your aura is twisted, mutated, like a chimera’s soul.”

“What do you mean?” I asked with a cold smile, not liking the fact she appeared to know more about me than I did now.

“You remember your mother?” I scowled but nodded, not wanting to admit I only knew her from other members of my Family and grandmother. “I can tell. You have images about the room of those you loved. I see someone missing though. What of your father?”

I stiffened. I didn’t remember my father. I didn’t even know his name. Grandmother had refused to speak of him and I quickly learnt at a young age that the subject of him was a taboo. Slowly I raised my eyes to meet her smiling pair. She knew something.

“What do you know of my father? What do you know of me?” I said quietly in a dangerous tone. “How do you even know so much so suddenly when you didn’t before?”

“I know so much because I am within you.” Irma said impatiently then grinned. “Your soul tells me what you are and you, Augusta, are a rare creature. I should’ve guessed really but your kind are only whispers in the dark, myths and folklore in the Old World, even to the race you truly belong. I had never believed in their existence until now.”

“What do you mean? Tell me!” I snapped. “Tell me what I am!”

“That is something I shall not part with.” Irma replied happily. “I shall take it to my grave. If I ever go there, that is.”

Rage boiled. The information I had wanted so dearly was so close yet Irma refused to speak it. It enraged me, irritated me, and that was what she aiming for. She wanted to anger me and not telling me want I wanted to know stirred me perfectly. I stared at her evenly, breathing slowly as my eyes darkened.

“Now shall we get on with this? I would very much like to kick you out of this body now. Ah, to be a myth, that would be something far superior to what Eugene offers.” Irma said wistfully.

“Kick me out?” I echoed emotionlessly.

“Well, yes, I must kill you. Only one soul is meant to possess a single body.”

My eyes narrowed as the cogs in my mind whirled. She had possessed Ilda before Ilda died and during that time, Ilda was unconscious. When she had woken, Ilda was someone else. She had become Ethelinda. Now she was within me, my body would also be unconscious and mimicking a feverish sickness while she fought me for domination within my mind. Ethelinda had to destroy the original soul to be able to take over. In effect she emptied the body so she could wear the skin like a suit. A grim, triumphant smile began to spread over my face as the knowledge I needed glowed in my mind. She was in her element, yes, but she was also at her most vulnerable now. I had to kill her here, now, to destroy her for good.

Irma grunted then let a grin flash over her face. “You’ve worked it out, haven’t you? The only way to kill me.” I simply tilted my head and turned my body to face hers. She laughed. “Well, it will be harder than you think. I have nine lives. You only have one.”

“I’ll cope.” I said smiling coldly.

“Ilda died by my hand. She only cut me down to my sixth. Those before her only to the eighth.” Irma warned brightly. “I am at my strongest here.”

“Then I won’t hold back this time.” I said darkly.

A dreadful wind suddenly leapt to life within the tiny room, whipping my hair about my face. I watched blankly as walls and toys around me turned to dust. The wind blew them away, eating at the thick clumps of dirt, while stone walls shot out from the darkness. A sandy coloured floor spread out like water beneath my feet, connecting each wall as the ceiling blossomed into life far above me. Small flames burst into life in their braziers that dangled from the ceiling and a soft fake moonlight streamed in from the large glass windows while hideous gargoyles grew from the edge of each pillar that lined the walls, staring down at the battle that was about to burst into life.

“We fight here.” I said, letting the small teddy burst into dust in my hands.

Irma smiled and held out her hand to will her witch-blade into reality. “The Judgement Room. Good choice.”

I summoned my blade and pistol, gripping them both hard as I stared at Irma. Nine lives, she had. I had to kill her nine times before she would finally die and I would wake up. I holstered my gun and held my sword poised for battle. I could do this. I had no choice but to. I would cut down every face of Ethelinda until I knew for certain she was dead.